Maldives Correctional Service (MCS) has begun to take the necessary steps to implement former Minister of Tourism Ali Waheed's prison sentence.
Supreme Court of the Maldives sentenced Ali Waheed to two months and 12 days in prison for contempt of court after failing to appear at a scheduled court hearing.
MCS confirmed it has received the Supreme Court order and will request the Maldives Police Service (MPS) to extradite Ali Waheed, who is currently in the UK.
The Supreme Court hearing was regarding the appeal submitted by the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) on the decision by the Criminal Court to allow him to attend his sexual assault and harassment trial online. Ali Waheed left the country in February after citing a need for urgent medical treatment and later requested Criminal Court that he attend the hearings via videoconferencing.
Criminal Court accepted the request and allowed the former minister to attend the first hearing of the trial on June 22 via videoconferencing. PGO objected to the arrangement, stating that conducting a criminal trial with the defendant in a location where the laws of the country do not apply violates the Criminal Procedure Act.
The former minister is facing charges of sexually assaulting and harassing female employees at the Ministry of Tourism. He has been charged with two counts of sexual abuse, two counts of unlawful sexual contact, a single count of attempted sexual abuse, indecent exposure, and a single count of attempted rape.